Despite seeing his team let their lead slip, Hong has praised their overall performance against the Russians.

"We didn't get the win, but we can be happy with the draw," he told FIFA.com. "It was our first match of the competition and opening matches are always difficult.

"My players have given their very best and showed how good they are in both a tactical and physical sense. The Russians, meanwhile, are fast players and there were times when they put us under pressure."

South Korea continue their World Cup campaign on Sunday when they take on Algeria.